A sixteenth-century residence that shuns the idea of planned stays: Villa Cordevigo shapes new entertainment paradigms, combining a relais, cellar, and Michelin-starred restaurant within the same ancient walls. The bonus? Marco Marras' table, in a place where pleasure aligns with the creativity.
Villa Cordevigo
"Do you hear it? It's the call of our pheasant. A proud little fellow, vying for dominance in the park with woodpeckers and hares. If you pay attention, the fauna raises the tone just enough to drown out the ticking of clocks. Each one has its own character, even the cypresses, whose buds we use to create a gin that distills the ecosystem. Just listen to the forest to discover what the eye doesn't see." Arriving at Villa Cordevigo is anything but a wild and frenetic safari-style trip. Yet, there's almost a taste of adventure in the words of Paolo Consolini, a unique Virgil who seems to have lived in this ancient Venetian residence forever, among the branches animated by the rustling of birds and the rooms with fragments of frescoes on the walls.
"I see her as an elegant lady from the 1700s, who often needs a refresh to stay in the present. But with the years, she gains allure, because time makes her beautiful." It is he who introduces her to the latest arrivals, in a tongue-twister of centuries-events-characters sometimes punctuated by the shaking of a welcome drink, other times by the resounding footsteps on the path of the petite Italian garden.
Who would have thought that it all started among the vineyards? That's right: after the bucolic debut just a breath away from Lake Garda, the two "wine families" Cristoforetti and Delibori (already strong with estates in Bardolino Classico) extended their aspirations to the former Renaissance residence passed from count to count and refurbished in the eighteenth century, which today combines a resort, cellar, and Michelin-starred restaurant within its powerful walls.
However, the suggestion remains to stroll among the tables imagining that the place where the breakfast banquet reigns was a bustling silk mill; or the amazement of staying in a "Bishop's Suite" with a regal fireplace and polychrome ceiling, while in the spa, grapes become a therapeutic ritual to alleviate tension.
Those who venture out after check-in return praising the "suspended chapel" with 3000 relics of San Martino, watching over the external courtyard, casting a veil of spirituality; a few meters away, groups of conscientious gourmands expiate their guilty pleasures with the "path of health" along the natural course of the hills.
Fragments of experiences blended by a transversal menu: that of Marco Marras, the head and pulse of the fine dining Oseleta; a chef ready to dissolve the stiffness in a comfort sauce, cutting sharply through the formalities of fine cuisine.
The chef and Oseleta Restaurant
For fans of regal estates enveloped in greenery, sleeping at Villa Cordevigo is an experience within the experience. However, a significant portion of the booking flow that fills Oseleta's database shies away from the idea of meticulously planned stays. There are those who dine and return the following week, those who stay for 15 consecutive days, and those who cover miles from south to north for a weekend of luxurious retreat; there's the wine-loving American, the discerning French gastronome, and the group of Venetian youngsters at their baptism of fire with tasting menus (sitting right in front of us).
What algorithm stirs such a wide variability? To answer, one must know Marco Marras, a Sardinian chef who arrived in the region with a decent collection of intercontinental flights, from Geneva to Miami, to the hotel Eden of Hawaii, after sharpening his knives at giants like the Splendid in Portofino and the Hotel Hermitage in Madonna di Campiglio.
In a nutshell, the former globetrotter from whom you expect a modern composition on the theme of selected ingredients, without falling into the cliché refrain of "miniatures" with an easy hashtag. And indeed: "I have the vegetable garden right outside, I sift through poultry and saffron producers, constantly absorbing the energy of this land," he tells us with a sincere sparkle in his eyes, "but at the same time, I infuse the taste of exploration into the dishes."
Thus, the East and France often play peek-a-boo among local certainties, while hedonism spontaneously enters the creative radar: "We give our best to ensure that Oseleta is a functioning restaurant, where pleasure keeps pace with aesthetic refinement," he concludes convincingly. The decision is made only halfway through the journey when the blend of tradition and cleverness proves fulfilling, yet intriguing for what the next perceptual twist might bring.
The dishes at Oseleta
While the dining area seems formal, with soft seating and aged curtains, the team moves with a center of gravity all its own; beyond the usual ballet, a modern dance that follows the imprint of the menu. Three paths to explore: In Viaggio con lo chef (5 courses at €125), Oseleta (6 at €150, which we'll tell you about below), and Natura, the vegetarian option (4 at €95). The wines? Aligned in two opposing and complementary factions: on one side, the excellent labels from the estate (Vigneti Villabella); on the other, a showcase of works in progress, with a tactical focus on Champagne and Italian sparkling wines. The result is a continuous sip punctuated by anecdotes from the sommelier Gian Morris, ready to offer new perspectives beyond the label.
The starter makes an impression with its sugary takeoff: on the menu, "Seared scallops, pumpkin, amaretti, buffalo blue cheese fondue, and licorice powder"; in the mouth, a flavor experience that transports the essence of the sea to the winter garden. In the "taste test," instead of the meaty and "nutty" mussel, the enveloping caress of cheese stands out, accompanied by a sweet green touch. "I created it thinking of fresh pasta with pumpkin and amaretti," explains Marco, "from which I isolate the filling to garnish the mollusks, seared on the griddle and gratinated with a light breadcrumb-biscuit, while at the bottom, there's the vegetable mustard." A baroque entrance streamlined by licorice and balsamic vinegar caviar, to suddenly open the doors to sharpness.
But then the first filling truly arrives. A cappelletto without a shadow of meat: the Sunday lunch ready for boarding, heading to Japan. Under the finely drawn veil, a gift of shellfish that blends and melds on the palate with the entire casing, bathed in soy chicken broth. "It's my idea of the sea that transcends the atlases, linking Asia and the Mediterranean." It means buying poultry from a farm 13 km away from the restaurant and, at the same time, emphasizing the umami of the consommé with shiitake mushrooms. "Because, if you think about it, a puff pastry bundle can embrace entire countries."
Back to the future in the sautéed fusilli with bagna cauda and plated on a dripping of four handcrafted sauces. "There's that of borage, which grows spontaneously in the villa, between the herbaceous and the bitter; the smoked eggplant, from the memory of my grandmother who patiently charred it over a lively flame; the cuttlefish ink, pure ink for the brackish signature." A new addition this year is saffron, historically registered in the Valpolicella registry and also present in the soft buns served during the meal, as well as in the spiced butter. Decorating the fusilli is bergamot gel and a dusting of lime. In the dining room, the interactive tasting, using the fork to "merge the quadrants" and blend the creams on the spot: thus, the eye separates them, and the palate sums them up in a "Klimt-like" embrace of similar elements.
More populist is the lamb braised for 12 hours inside the hay until the fiber barely touches the "butter-tender" effect: a test on the well-cooked shoulder, to be almost carved without a knife. It is accompanied by glazed and creamy shallots, among hazelnuts and garden sprouts that set the jaw in motion; but the level of finesse rises with the millefeuille of turnip and truffle, standing on the earthy nuances of the forest.
At Oseleta, the dessert remains faithful to its original concept, avoiding the wave of popularity of "non-sweet sweets." Therefore, make way for Valrhona chocolate molded into a bar, with double coffee and licorice mousse and hazelnut crunch for a delightful spoonful happy ending. The revelation of an excellent cheese cart adds merit, potentially extending the savory exploration.
Cordevigo Restaurant, the breakfast and the cocktail bar
The wandering gourmet does not live on fine dining alone, and perhaps here lies the true challenge: dressing the hotel kitchen in a different attire. This is the direction taken by the Cordevigo Restaurant - hosted in the same room that will welcome you in the morning, with windows overlooking the park - where the dishes ride the myth of regional cuisine, sometimes galloping towards more eccentric shores.
It happens, therefore, to come across a superb braised beef cheek on a potato cream and turnip tops, as well as a Monograno Felicetti spaghetti that marries scallops and puntarelle, or even a deconstructed Tiramisù with ladyfingers resembling crumble and a dome of mascarpone: revamped vintage recipes, a vintage brought back to life that dispenses crumbs of surprise.
Upon awakening, instead, the table stands out with cakes reminiscent of traditional credenza (see the pastiera, punctual in aromas and not overly sweet, to the advantage of ricotta), a decent egg-based catalog (from sweet and savory crepes to omelets with salmon), and a selection of energizing juices and milks (including plant-based). After dinner? It happens in the lounge of the Fiordilej Bar, just off the hall, led by a master of mixology like Pino Fragnelli, sipping on a London Dry Gin that traps the scents of the cypresses “met” upon arrival.
The chatter of guests already diffuses in the air the anticipation of the next alcoholic excursion "from grapes to glass." Because at Villa Cordevigo, nothing is taken for granted. Not even a glass of Amarone, preferably after a tour among the vineyards.
Contacts
Villa Cordevigo- Oseleta Restaurant
Cordevigo, 1, 37010 Cavaion veronese VR
Phone: 045 723 5287
